
GOVERNMENTS FEEL DIFFERENT 41
Constraint 3: The PoliticalImperative
An understanding of interests, both yours and the other side’s, is
fundamental to success in any negotiation. All negotiators, govern-
mental or private, are driven by their interests. Those interests are
often complex. They are personal and organizational. You cannot
assume that the interests of the person sitting on the other side of
the table are the same as yours or of other persons you have nego-
tiated with in the past. You have to dig deep to uncover those in-
terests, if you hope to engage in productive negotiations.
Because of their special interests, government officials and ...